Question marks surround Dorsey, Dial and Carradine

That question remains unanswered five days before the 49ers visit the Titans.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said today he wasn’t sure nose tackle Glenn Dorsey would be able to play Sunday after he sustained a hamstring injury in last week’s 32-20 win over Arizona.

“I don’t think anybody knows just yet,” Fangio said on KNBR. “We don’t think it’s as bad as initially feared, but hamstrings can be kind of fickle. So I don’t think we’ll know that until the end of the week.”

With Tony Jerod-Eddie spelling Dorsey for the final 54 minutes, the Cardinals, who entered ranked 23rd in the NFL in rushing, had 109 yards on the ground and averaged 5.2 yards a carry. The 49ers finished the game with four available defensive linemen, one of whom was banged-up tackle Ray McDonald. In his first game playing with a partially torn biceps tendon, McDonald did not register a tackle.

With rookie defensive linemen Tank Carradine and Quinton Dial expected to participate in their first NFL practice today, help could soon be on the way. Carradine, a defensive tackle, is a second-round pick who sustained a torn ACL in late November. Dial, a nose tackle, is a fifth-rounder who only recently felt fully recovered from toe surgery he underwent in January to repair torn cartilage.

Fangio said it usually takes months to get rookies game-ready after they start practicing.

“They’re way behind,” Fangio said. “But we’re going to have to go full-speed ahead and get them caught up as fast as we can without the offseason work, without a training camp, without any practices up to this point in time. There isn’t a lot of experience with this because it usually doesn’t happen. But we’re confident that one or two of them will be ready here soon. Just don’t know how soon yet.”

If the rookies aren’t deemed ready this week – and Dorsey can’t play – the 49ers could turn to its practice squad, where they have undrafted rookie nose tackle Mike Purcell. Jim Harbaugh declined to speculate on the possibility they could promote Purcell.

“Really wouldn’t talk about the possibilities right now,” he said. “Let’s kind of wait and see where we’re at. But Mike’s doing a good job.”